So glad I read your essay Mike. Just today as I was looking at stuff I read about his effort to knock Collins off of her 30year reign and I was encouraged but then there was info about the tattoo . Suddenly the end of the tetter totter I was on suddenly dropped not to the ground but to its balance point. Later tonight I read your incredible essay and I am so grateful for your support of this man! Everything you said it honest, truthful and if I lived in Maine I would vote for him! I will stay high in his support as I read about him. I don't know how to say the right words like you do but will try if I see negative words about him. We all made mistakes at 22 and we learned from them . Well some of us did but the Epstein Class surely failed!
I don't think he's a Nazi. I think he's a dipstick. I served with a ton of guys like him. I don't think he's a bad person, and I also don't think he's remotely qualified to serve in the U.S. Senate. I don't think it's a matter of education or learning; I think Graham Platner lacks the temperament to be Senator.
I think this essay is a fine piece of apologetics as it goes. All that said, I don't think *his* apologies--either for the Totenkopf tattoo, or for the myriad Internet posts he made up until very recently--are sincere. They don't show actual remorse, and every single time he's been actually pressed on his actions and words, he's gotten extremely resentful about having to apologize.
You don't get to do that when you screw up.
What you do is you admit you screwed up, you express humility for your mistakes, and you engage in actual activity to make up for that. He hasn't done any of that.
In any event, I think the folks who think he's a crypto-Nazi have cooked their brains. The reason he's on the precipice of being the Democratic nominee for Senate is because Democratic voters in Maine (and elsewhere) are pissed the hell off, and Platner is doing an excellent job of channeling that anger in his campaign. We'll see if he can beat Collins; I think the national political environment means he does.
I think the dialog happening among people of goodwill that are worrying about Mr Platner has roots in the sense of betrayal that arose after Fetterman "soured" becoming GOP lite once elected. Small donors and voters were encouraged to look past Fetterman's documented foibles prior to his Senate race because Oz, not only a carpetbagger was going to be worse for PA and worse for Democrats as a whole. This is the mental and emotional component at work as well as t he obvious coordinated GOP and RW whisper ops. I worry about his judgement but if I were a Mainer I'd vote for him and keep the leash short.
My "I am not a Nazi" tattoo covering my Nazi tattoo has inspired a lot of questions...
I think the most charitable interpretation of events for Platner is that he is not "really" a Nazi, but he enjoyed the "subversiveness" of having a Nazi tattoo. The same thing as a middle school kid doodling swastikas or whatever. And I think in itself that is disqualifying.
If Platner wins, I'm sure Democrats will enjoy hearing about Platner every single time they point out white nationalist sentiment from the Republican party.
Huh? I know you've looked in his dreamy eyes and think he's so, so honest and whatever else you wrote. Is your argument that unless someone else has done that and felt some sort of tingle, they can't draw conclusions about his behavior?
Fear, brainwashing, stubborness, arrogance, pride, the need to toe the line. All are powerful motivators that can discourage someone from accepting evidence contrary to their strongly held belief. God knows we've seen this on the right, but folks on the left are not immune.
Susan Collins is one of the most effective enablers of a corrupt president who also happens to be preferred by actual Nazis. That seems like a pretty good reason to support Platner.
This subject is exhausting! Platner has addressed it. Disavowed it. And it seems to me that lots of Rs are perfectly comfortable with people who are Nazi adjacent (like maybe Musk 🥴); so why beat it to death?
They didn't say it directly. But they very clearly think he's disavowing the accusation for political convenience. And that he is somehow a corrupt character. It's in the subtext of how they see the world.
They have been doing the tattoo bit for months now. It’s tiring. He’s offered explanations. Those obsessives over the tattoo are not interested at all at the campaign on the ground… which by the sound of it, it sounds like Platner is speaking to Maine voters in ways that Mills and Collins campaigns are not. Do we assume many of these Maine voters are antisemites or is he speaking to voters about important issues?
I love what you're doing and respect you. Maybe your friends haven't met Platner like you have so they see him differently.
From what I've seen of your writing you are consistent, thoughtful and honest. I'm not sure Platner has as much v of those qualities as you do. But I'm not from Maine. He's the Democratic nominee even if he is a Nazi (joking, slightly)
I just think he's going to be like Fetterman but I'll worry about if he gets elected.
If you're having to explain you're a Nazi though you've already lost that argument.
Anyway he's the nominee hopefully he wins and hopefully if he is elected he will not become a proud member of the Fetterman Caucus
Thank you SO much for doing the work and bringing this to the rest of us! Reposting NOW!!! 💕🇺🇸
Sam Seder covered in months. Mike is late as usual.
I very much like where Graham Platner is politically. I hope he kicks Susan Collins ass.
So glad I read your essay Mike. Just today as I was looking at stuff I read about his effort to knock Collins off of her 30year reign and I was encouraged but then there was info about the tattoo . Suddenly the end of the tetter totter I was on suddenly dropped not to the ground but to its balance point. Later tonight I read your incredible essay and I am so grateful for your support of this man! Everything you said it honest, truthful and if I lived in Maine I would vote for him! I will stay high in his support as I read about him. I don't know how to say the right words like you do but will try if I see negative words about him. We all made mistakes at 22 and we learned from them . Well some of us did but the Epstein Class surely failed!
First rate reporting. Thank you.
Powerful and… Thanks!
I don't think he's a Nazi. I think he's a dipstick. I served with a ton of guys like him. I don't think he's a bad person, and I also don't think he's remotely qualified to serve in the U.S. Senate. I don't think it's a matter of education or learning; I think Graham Platner lacks the temperament to be Senator.
I think this essay is a fine piece of apologetics as it goes. All that said, I don't think *his* apologies--either for the Totenkopf tattoo, or for the myriad Internet posts he made up until very recently--are sincere. They don't show actual remorse, and every single time he's been actually pressed on his actions and words, he's gotten extremely resentful about having to apologize.
You don't get to do that when you screw up.
What you do is you admit you screwed up, you express humility for your mistakes, and you engage in actual activity to make up for that. He hasn't done any of that.
In any event, I think the folks who think he's a crypto-Nazi have cooked their brains. The reason he's on the precipice of being the Democratic nominee for Senate is because Democratic voters in Maine (and elsewhere) are pissed the hell off, and Platner is doing an excellent job of channeling that anger in his campaign. We'll see if he can beat Collins; I think the national political environment means he does.
I suggest you look at the current polling out of Maine. He's WAY more popular than Collins.
Look Mike, you go a long way to explain what you don't have to explain.
"How long have you been beating you wife?" "Or, have you stopped beating your wife?" are questions you don't have to answer.
Graham Platner is perfectly capable of defending himself.
Basically, he's a good guy with stupid tats.
Beats Susan Collins in most people's eyes.
I think the dialog happening among people of goodwill that are worrying about Mr Platner has roots in the sense of betrayal that arose after Fetterman "soured" becoming GOP lite once elected. Small donors and voters were encouraged to look past Fetterman's documented foibles prior to his Senate race because Oz, not only a carpetbagger was going to be worse for PA and worse for Democrats as a whole. This is the mental and emotional component at work as well as t he obvious coordinated GOP and RW whisper ops. I worry about his judgement but if I were a Mainer I'd vote for him and keep the leash short.
The guy seems completely emotionally and mentally stable to me.
whatever is the opposite of Laura Loomer
My "I am not a Nazi" tattoo covering my Nazi tattoo has inspired a lot of questions...
I think the most charitable interpretation of events for Platner is that he is not "really" a Nazi, but he enjoyed the "subversiveness" of having a Nazi tattoo. The same thing as a middle school kid doodling swastikas or whatever. And I think in itself that is disqualifying.
If Platner wins, I'm sure Democrats will enjoy hearing about Platner every single time they point out white nationalist sentiment from the Republican party.
What evidence do you have to support this judgement of character beyond "I think"?
Huh? I know you've looked in his dreamy eyes and think he's so, so honest and whatever else you wrote. Is your argument that unless someone else has done that and felt some sort of tingle, they can't draw conclusions about his behavior?
You haven’t said anything about his behavior other than that he got a tattoo.
Fear, brainwashing, stubborness, arrogance, pride, the need to toe the line. All are powerful motivators that can discourage someone from accepting evidence contrary to their strongly held belief. God knows we've seen this on the right, but folks on the left are not immune.
Susan Collins is one of the most effective enablers of a corrupt president who also happens to be preferred by actual Nazis. That seems like a pretty good reason to support Platner.
This subject is exhausting! Platner has addressed it. Disavowed it. And it seems to me that lots of Rs are perfectly comfortable with people who are Nazi adjacent (like maybe Musk 🥴); so why beat it to death?
What was the quote the Fifth Column hosts said directly calling Platner a Nazi? Can you clarify?? Regular listener there, regular reader here! (:
They didn't say it directly. But they very clearly think he's disavowing the accusation for political convenience. And that he is somehow a corrupt character. It's in the subtext of how they see the world.
They have been doing the tattoo bit for months now. It’s tiring. He’s offered explanations. Those obsessives over the tattoo are not interested at all at the campaign on the ground… which by the sound of it, it sounds like Platner is speaking to Maine voters in ways that Mills and Collins campaigns are not. Do we assume many of these Maine voters are antisemites or is he speaking to voters about important issues?
Better defence of Planter is made by Sam Seder, months ago. Mike is late as usual. And nothing illuminating that hasn't already been said
We already have a Nazi enthusiast and phony populist that mocks the disabled as President. Hard pass.
Hi Mike
I love what you're doing and respect you. Maybe your friends haven't met Platner like you have so they see him differently.
From what I've seen of your writing you are consistent, thoughtful and honest. I'm not sure Platner has as much v of those qualities as you do. But I'm not from Maine. He's the Democratic nominee even if he is a Nazi (joking, slightly)
I just think he's going to be like Fetterman but I'll worry about if he gets elected.
If you're having to explain you're a Nazi though you've already lost that argument.
Anyway he's the nominee hopefully he wins and hopefully if he is elected he will not become a proud member of the Fetterman Caucus